Spain flag meaning symbol: Flags, Symbols & Currency of Spain

Flags, Symbols & Currency of Spain

The National Flag of Spain was officially adopted on October 5, 1981. The current flag has been designed by Antonio Valdés y Bazán.

The National Flag of Spain has a horizontal rectangular design with a triband of two colors; red and yellow. The three bands are arranged as follows; the red band at the top, a yellow band in the middle, and a red band at the bottom. The middle yellow band is twice the width of each red band. The Coat of Arms of Spain is set off-centered towards the flag’s hoist. It is a combination of six different coats of arms, representing the six kingdoms that makeup Spain. The red castle represents the Kingdom of Castile, and the red lion represents the Kingdom of Leon, the vertically-running red and yellow stripes represent the kingdom of Aragon, the golden chain-link represents the kingdom of Navarre. The pomegranate flower at the bottom represents the kingdom of Granada, and the Flower of the Lily (fleur-de-lis) represents the House of Bourbon. The two Pillars of Hercules symbolize the Straits of Gibraltar and on top of the two pillars are two crowns, an imperial crown, and a royal crown. The royal crown symbolized the King of Spain while the imperial crown symbolized the Holy Roman Emperor with King Charles serving in both capacities in the late 18th century. The inscription on the red banner wrapping the two pillars is “Plus Ultra” which translates to “Further Beyond” which represented the then newly discovered American territories after the voyages of Christopher Columbus. The red and yellow colors of the flag were chosen for being the primary colors on the coat of arms of King Ferdinand II. The flag has a width-to-length proportion ratio of 2:3.

History of the flag of Spain

The current national flag of Spain is a combination of different medieval banners. The design of the current flag was based on the 1785 naval ensign of the Kingdom of Spain, ruled then by Charles III. The coat of arms was developed in the 18th century during the reign of King Charles and during the period when Spain had started its widespread exploration of the Americas through Christopher Columbus. A republican government of Spain adopted a new flag which was a horizontal tricolor with red, yellow, and purple along with a centrally placed coat of arms. When Francisco Franco took over from the republican government in 1936, he used a different coat of arms on the flag. The coat of arms has indeed changed several times and has reached a stable form only in 1978 when a democratic government of Spain took over.

Historical Flags of Spain

Flag of Second Spanish Republic

Flag of Spain during the Second Spanish Republic (1931-1939). Image credit: SanchoPanzaXXI/Wikimedia.org

Flag of Spain under Franco

Flag of Spain (1945-1977). mage credit: SanchoPanzaXXI/Wikimedia.org

Symbols of Spain

The National Coat of Arms of Spain

The current official National Coat of Arms was adopted on October 5, 1981. The coat of arms features the emblems of the traditional kingdoms which make up Spain. The red castle represents the Kingdom of Castile, and the red lion represents the Kingdom of Leon, the vertically-running red and yellow stripes represent the kingdom of Aragon, the golden chain-link represents the kingdom of Navarre. The pomegranate flower at the bottom represents the kingdom of Granada, and the Flower of the Lily (fleur-de-lis) represents the House of Bourbon. The Arms are framed by two columns representing the Pillars of Hercules, which are the two promontories (Gibraltar and Ceuta) on either side of the eastern end of the Strait of Gibraltar. On top of the two pillars are two crowns, an imperial crown, and a royal crown. The royal crown symbolized the King of Spain while the imperial crown symbolized the Holy Roman Emperor with King Charles serving in both capacities in the late 18th century. The red scroll across the two columns bears the imperial motto of “Plus Ultra” (“Further Beyond”) referring to Spanish lands beyond Europe and the then newly discovered American territories after the voyages of Christopher Columbus. On top of the coat of arms is a large red and gold Royal crown of Spain.

National Motto

“Plus Ultra” (“Further Beyond”)p

National Anthem

• Anthem Title: “Marcha Real” (“Royal March”)
• Music Composer: Manuel de Espinosa de los Monteros
• Date of Adoption: September 3, 1770 [readopted: July 1942]

“Marcha Real” (“Royal March”) is the national anthem of Spain. The music for the anthem have been composed by Manuel de Espinosa de los Monteros in 1761. The anthem has no official lyrics. The anthem was first officially adopted on September 3, 1770 and then readopted in July 1942. It is one of the oldest national anthems in the world.

The Currency of Spain is the euro

The current official currency of Spain is the euro (€, EUR). It was introduced in 2002. The euro can be subdivided into 100 cents. The currency is issued by the European Central Bank.

Coins

Coins are minted in 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, and 50 cents, and 1€ and 2€ denominations.

Banknotes

Euro banknotes are available in denominations of 5€, 10€, 20€, 50€, 100€, 200€, and 500€.

Euro Banknote

One hundred euro banknote

Euro Coin

Two euro coin

Historical Currencies of Spain

Before the use of the euro in 2002, Spain used a variety of other currencies. These currencies included the Spanish real, Spanish escudo, and the Spanish peseta. Introduced by King Pedro I of Castile, the Spanish real was used from the mid-14th century until 1864. Silver and Gold forms of the Spanish escudo were later added. Spain used the silver escudo from 1566-1833 and the gold escudo between 1864 and 1869 until it was replaced by the Spanish peseta. Spain began to use the peseta when it joined the Latin Monetary Union in October 1868. The peseta was the currency of Spain from 1869 to 2002.  It was replaced by the euro in 2002.

Spanish real Coins

Ancient Spanish silver coins of the King Felipe V. 1717. Coined in Madrid. 2 reales.

Spanish escudo Coins

8 Spanish escudos (1687)

Spanish peseta Coin

Spanish 5 pesetas coin, 1957

Spain Flag Map and Meaning

Colors and the Meaning of the Spain Flag

Flag of Spain consists of three horizontal stripes. There are red strips of equal size at the top and bottom, and in the middle, there are an orange stripe 2 times the size of the red strip. On the left side of the orange ribbon is the royal coat of arms.

The coat of arms consists of symbols with a crown, divided into 4, and the Hercules Columns on both sides, which protect this emblem. These columns represent the Gibraltar and Ceuta regions. Each quarter badge represents the kingdoms of Spain. Also in the center of this coat of arms, there is the symbol of the House of the Bourbon of the Spanish Royal Family on the blue oval background, which is surrounded by a red frame.

Written in each of the two columns, there is a red slogan “Plus Ultra” written in the form of a red spiral curvy or fancy writing, which means “there is more to go beyond.” No other country has ever used red and yellow colors.

Spain Flag Map

History of the Spain Flag

The Spanish flag was adopted on 19 December 1981. The closest variation to the existing Spanish flag dates back to 1785 when Carlos III reigned in Spain. At that time, a different flag was required from the Bourbon Kingdoms, France and Sicily.

The new republic had adopted a flag with red, yellow and purple horizontal stripes. The old flag was reconsidered in 1936 and the necessary changes were made. The main changes on the Spanish flag have always been on the coat of arms of the dynasty over the years.

Spain also has a very common civilian flag around the world. This is the same as the national flag, but it is considered to be a flag with no emblem.

Neighboring Countries of Spain

Spain, located in Western Europe, has four neighbors. Spain is bordered by Portugal in the West, Gibraltar in the United Kingdom and France and Andorra in the north.

Main Characteristics of Spain

Spain, or officially the Kingdom of Spain, is governed by a constitutional monarchy regime in the form of parliamentary democracy.

The official language is Spanish. The country also has ethnic groups such as Romanian, Moroccan and Ecuadorian. There is no mention in the Spanish national anthem. On the other hand, the third most spoken language in the world is Spanish.

Most of the people of Spain are Catholic sects of Christianity. Although there are few Protestants, Jews, and Muslims, this number constitutes 1 percent of the population.

Country	Spain
Code	ES(ESP)
Calling Code	34
Capital City	Madrid
Currency	euro(EUR)
Emoji Symbol	🇪🇸
Highest Point	Teide on Tenerife in the Canary Islands (3,178 m)
Internet TLD	. es
Population(2017)	46,375,758
Total Area	505,992 km2

Flag of Spain – the history of the symbol

In the modern world, the flag of the country is perhaps the most recognizable symbol of the state. The history of the Spanish flag is inseparable from the history of the Spanish state. The Spanish Constitution, adopted on December 27, 1978, states that “ the flag of Spain is formed from three horizontal stripes, red, yellow and red, with the yellow stripe twice as wide as each of the red stripes .” The flag, called the Rojigualda in Spain, uses the same colors as the national standard of 1785 and, with the exception of a design change during the 2nd Spanish Republic (1931-1939), only the coat of arms of Spain, depicted on the flag, changed.

Content

• 1 The first flags and their changes during the time
• 2 Flags of the Spanish provinces
  • 2. 1 Catalonia – Sanier
  • 2.2 Madrid
  • 2.3 Flag of the Basque Country
  • 2.4 Flag of Andalusia

  The first flags and their changes over time

  The first flags in the territory of present-day Spain were, in all likelihood, the so-called vexillums – the standards used by the Roman legionnaires. The Visigoths, who succeeded the Romans, continued to use the same standards, but until the Muslim invasion, the prototypes of modern flags did not appear on the territory of the Iberian Peninsula. It was the Muslims, as well as their opponents – the Crusaders, who first began to use fluttering pieces of fabric of the correct form on sticks. Flags were mainly used to designate kings, princes or lords, and not to designate nations or territories.

  The first flags that appeared in Spain and can be compared with modern national flags date back to the 16th century – they appeared after the marriage of Queen Juana I of Castile to Archduke Philip of Austria. It was then that the flag with the Burgundian cross appeared – a symbol common to all Spanish flags of that time. The design of the flag changed under each king, sometimes quite radically (for example, Philip II replaced the white cloth with yellow), but the cross itself – red, “stumpy” invariably remained on all its variations.

  With the accession to the throne of the first representative of the House of Bourbon in Spain – Felipe V, the previous design of the flag was replaced by another – the royal coat of arms on a white panel. White, the symbol of the Bourbon dynasty, was used in the 18th century by other members of the family, ruling in France, Naples, Tuscany, Parma and Sicily. Including for this reason, Carlos III decided to change the national standard of Spain with a new one.

  Thus, in 1785 a competition was announced for the development of a new standard. On May 28, 1785, on the basis of this competition, by royal decree, Carlos III established two new standards of Spain – one for navigation and the other for commerce. Both of these flags looked exactly like the modern flag of Spain – but the naval standard depicted the royal coat of arms, as opposed to the commercial flag.

  Finally, in 1843, Queen Isabella II of Spain recognized the red-yellow-red flag as the national flag of Spain by royal decree. After the establishment of the First Spanish Republic in 1873, the colors of the flag did not change, but all symbols reminiscent of the monarchy were removed from it. After the restoration of the monarchy in 1874, the crown returned to the flag, and starting from 1908, the display of this flag became mandatory for all state institutions during national holidays.

  The same design of the flag has survived to this day, but the coat of arms, located in its very center, has changed several times. In particular, mention should be made of the Spanish flag with a black eagle – the symbol of the Francisco Franco regime, which was established from the end of the Spanish Civil War until the death of the dictator.

  Between 1931 and 1939 The Spanish flag still changed its appearance. This happened during the Second Spanish Republic, when the lower stripe of the flag became purple, and the yellow stripe was equal in width to the rest. The purple color was chosen as a reference to Castile, whose heraldry has long had a purple tint. The Republican flag is still used today by supporters of the republican form of government in Spain, and in addition by supporters of left-wing political movements throughout the country.

  However, at the moment the Spanish flag is a combination of three stripes – two narrow red ones at the top and bottom, yellow and a wide one in the middle. The coat of arms of Spain adopted in 1981, consisting of the arms of various Spanish provinces, adorns the flag. Castile is symbolized by a castle, Aragon by four horizontal stripes, Navarre is depicted in the form of fastened chains, Leon is represented by a lion, and Andalusia by a pomegranate, the coat of arms of the last Muslim state captured by Christians during the reconquista. In the center of the coat of arms are three lilies on a blue background – this is a symbol of the Angevin branch of the Bourbon dynasty. The columns symbolize the Pillars of Hercules, and the coat of arms is crowned with a crown, as a symbol of the fact that Spain is a monarchy.

  Flags of the Spanish provinces

  In addition to Spain itself, each of its provinces also has its own flag. In addition to them, many Spanish cities also have their own flags. Here is a brief description of some of them.

  Catalonia – Saniera

  The flag of Catalonia is a yellow panel with four horizontal red stripes. The flag of Catalonia has its own name – Saniera, which emphasizes the special significance of this one of the oldest flags in Europe. Flags based on the Sañera are also used by the other autonomous communities of Spain – Aragon, Valencia, Catalonia and the Balearic Islands. Currently, in addition to being officially used as the flag of Catalonia, the Sañera is also often combined with a blue or yellow triangle with a star – such a flag is used by supporters of Catalan independence from Spain.

  Autonomous Community of Madrid

  The flag of the Spanish capital is a crimson cloth with the coat of arms of the city in the middle. The emblem of the city depicts a bear leaning against a strawberry tree. The exact origin of the coat of arms is unknown, but it is believed that it is a symbol of the confrontation between the clergy and civil authorities for property. The coat of arms is bordered by a blue frame, on which there are seven stars, symbolizing the Big Dipper. The same seven stars are located on the flag of the autonomous community of Madrid, which includes the Spanish capital itself, as well as its environs.

  Flag of the Basque Country – Icurrinha

  The flag of the Basque Country was created in 1894 by Sabino Arana. At first, this flag was used only as the flag of Biscay, the largest province of the Basque Country, but soon it began to be used as the flag of the entire region. During the Franco dictatorship, the flag was banned, but after the establishment of democracy, Icurrinha began to be used officially. The flag was based on the flag of Great Britain, but the colors of the flag – green, white and red – were taken from Basque folklore.

  Flag of Andalusia

  This flag features two green stripes with a white stripe in the middle with
  the official coat of arms of Andalusia. The flag of Andalusia has Muslim roots – green was the symbol of the Umayyad dynasty, and white was the symbol of the Almohads. The current flag of Andalusia was adopted in 1981.

  Finally, we bring to your attention a video with a more visual demonstration of changes throughout the history of the flag of Spain

  If you have an interesting question about the culture and traditions of Spain, you can leave a comment or contact with us by email. We will be happy to help you!

  Flag of Spain – national symbol in red and yellow colors, Spanish coat of arms and anthem

  Spain – a unique, special country, unlike any other. Everyone who has come here at least once is forever in love with the amazing and original atmosphere, its passion and openness, its rich culture and history, the hospitality and generosity of its inhabitants. This country is also distinguished by patriotism and devotion of the Spaniards to their king, their homeland, their state. Therefore, the Spaniards treat with special respect the symbols of their country, such as the flag and coat of arms.

  Flag of Spain: history and modernity

  Flag of Spain probably everyone imagines. But few people know why this state symbol looks that way and not otherwise. We will talk about this in this article.

  The current flag of Spain in its familiar form was approved relatively recently, in 1981. It consists of three horizontal stripes – two red stripes of the same width, located in the upper and lower parts of the canvas, and one twice as wide yellow stripe. On the yellow stripe, at a distance of one third from the edge, there is a miniature coat of arms of the Kingdom of Spain.

  The symbolic meaning of the colors of the flag is deeply rooted in the past. History associates this color combination with the name of one of the Spanish kings – Aragon. This ruler wanted to have his own banner. As he looked at the various flags offered to him, he settled on one made of smooth golden fabric. Then, according to legend, he ordered a goblet of fresh blood from slain animals to be served to him and ran two fingers along the edge of the golden cloth.

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  Approximately in the form as we know it today, the flag appeared in 1785. This story is associated with the name of King Carlos III of Bourbon. During the war, this ruler ordered the captains of his ships to use special signs that would distinguish Spanish ships from ships of other states.

  Prior to this, ships of the Spanish navy were decorated only with snow-white standards, which could easily be confused with the flags of other states. Since then, the coat of arms of the Bourbons has always been present on the state symbol of Spain, although the general appearance of the flag has changed over time.

  The Spanish flag as we know it was officially approved in 1981, and since then the official symbol of Spain is the yellow and red tricolor with the national emblem in the corner.

  The history of the kingdom on the Spanish coat of arms

  The coat of arms, by the way, also has a rather long and interesting history. This symbolic sign is, in fact, a reflection of the entire centuries-old Spanish culture. Many small details on the space of the coat of arms are not just pictures, but a kind of symbols that hide their special meaning.

  All the historical parts and provinces of Spain are reflected here. Castile is depicted as a stone castle. The three provinces of León, Asturias and Galicia merged into one in the form of a lion. Red and gold stripes symbolize Aragon, Catalonia and the Balearic Islands; metal chains – Navarra; pomegranate – Andalusia (traditionally, the famous Spanish pomegranates are grown in these places).

  In the center of the emblem there is an oblong shield with three golden lily buds on a blue background. This majestic sign symbolizes the Angevin branch of the Bourbon dynasty, to which the Spanish kings belonged for centuries. The columns located on the sides are a reference to the so-called Pillars of Hercules. In ancient times, the Spaniards called Gibraltar with such an interesting name, which was then considered the real end of the world. Hence the catchy slogan related to the coat of arms: “Plus Ultra”, which in Latin means “nowhere else.” This multi-element design is crowned with a large majestic crown – a sign of royal power.

  In a word, the Spanish coat of arms is a real encrypted message that reflects all the traditions and pride of the inhabitants of this kingdom.

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  Anthem – the song of the Spanish soul

  No less impressive in its age and content is the anthem of Spain. This is one of the first national anthems not only in Europe, but, perhaps, throughout the world. Unfortunately, the name of the author of this work is now lost.

  The first mention of the Spanish anthem dates back to the end of the eighteenth century, during the reign of King Charles III. It was he who approved this solemn song that he liked as the official symbol of the state. From now on, the anthem was supposed to be performed at all important state ceremonies, solemn receptions and royal ceremonies. Therefore, this work was called “Royal March”.

  During the Civil War, this anthem gave way to another song – “Anthem of Riego”. However, at the end of the war, Francisco Franco returned the status of the Spanish national anthem to the “Royal March”.